Fields of research

• Comparative genomics.
  A major area of my research is comparative genomics of pathogens. Here, we compare genomes of multiple strains or species that differ in virulence or antibiotic resistance. The aim is to identify the genes responsible for the phenotypic difference and to analyze how such genes were acquired. I have determined and compared the genome sequences of Staphylococci, which are causative agents of bacterial infection in hospitals and in the community.
• Molecular evolution.
  I am also interested in general principles for explaining the difference of DNA sequences across all livings. One topic I studied is the codon frequency of genes, which is a feature universal to all lives. Condon frequency can be used to infer from a gene sequence the type of species it is derived from, and can be applied in studying molecular evolution.
• Genetic factors of disease susceptibility and drug reaction.
  Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have successfully identified numerous loci associated with common traits in human, such as disease susceptibility and reaction to medicine. I performed GWAS for metabolic diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension, and also for the required dose of anticoagulant warfarin. As a statistical geneticist, I have devised statistical methods for designing efficient association studies.

Publications & Softwares

CV

Pathogen Genomics Center, National Institute of Infectious Diseases
1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8640, JAPAN